consumer desires
'Until quite recently,' declared Brian Van Bower in opening his October 2009 Aqua Culture column, 'it was difficult to find too many people in the watershaping industry who were willing to say much about "going green." 'For a while now, I've thought that was a mistake: It's been manifestly clear for several years that practices and programs related to energy conservation, water conservation and an overall sense of environmental responsibility are here to stay, and I always think it's better to
When you talk to clients about why they want a swimming pool or spa, which benefits generally top their lists? Are they after beauty, luxury or a relaxing lifestyle accessory? Or is it the sound of moving water, a focus on entertaining or a place to play? Through the years, I've spoken with lots of you about how important it is to understand precisely what
For many clients, the decision to purchase a watershape represents the second or third largest expenditure they'll ever make. As a result, understanding the psychology that drives client decision-making is an issue that cuts very close to the heart of what we all do for a living. To gain a firmer grasp on what makes clients tick, I recently turned to Trading Up, an insightful book by Michael Silverstein and Neil Fiske (Penguin Group, 2005). The 300-page text explores the issue of why people choose to spend more money in some areas of their lives while allocating less to others - a fascinating approach that sheds a great deal of light on the dynamics of making large financial decisions. The premise of Silverstein's and Fiske's discussion is that most people have an idiosyncratic curve of preferences when it comes to making significant purchasing decisions. Why, for example, will some people will set aside substantial resources to buy a Mercedes or Jaguar while spending (relatively) much less on
